The Hardest Thing
by Izreina Maxwell
Summary: The hardest thing in the universe is keeping a secret from your comrades... At least, that's what he thought...
1. Chapter 1

Okay... This is my FIRST Super Sentai fanfic. (Well, the first one posted, I've been working on a Shinkenger crossover fic for months that I just haven't been happy with) I'm hoping to turn this into a multi-part story, but I'm satisfied with a single one-shot experiment for the moment. Please R & R.

Disclaimer: I don't own it. If I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction...

Kaizoku Sentai: Gokaiger

The Hardest Thing

It wasn't hard to figure out, once he finally sat down and looked at all the evidence. Marvelous folded his arms as he stood at the edge of the lake. His stomach had been tied in knots like this before, but the anxiety eventually went away after a time. But since coming to this planet, the knots just got tighter and tighter. At first, he believed it was because they were coming closer and closer to achieving his dream of finding the greatest treasure in the universe. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that the knots only appeared when he was in the presence of a certain petite pirate. And they were unbearable when she was in danger.

Damn it... He was in love… with Ahim…

Gai may have seen it, but who knew? Gai could have been making a simple innocent ovservation. He was quite naïve. But what about the others? Looking back at all of the evidence, they'd all have to be blind not to see it. Which brought him to another question… Did the Zangyack know? Was that the reason they had attempted to kidnap her that one time? After another Zangyack encounter, Gai had pointed out that Ahim was the something Marvelous was afraid to lose.

And he was right. Marvelous was afraid to lose Ahim. He would gladly give his life to her, and for her. He'd even go as far as to say that she was his greatest treasure. He wouldn't hesitate to…

He frowned, staring at his reflection in the water. Was finding the greatest treasure in the universe worth it if it came down to having to choose between it and Ahim? That was what he had come to this backwater planet for, dragging along a ragtag crew whose only thing in common was the desire for the treasure. Except Ahim. Her only desire for survivors of her homeworld to see their princess willing to stand up to the Zangyack, even if it meant becoming a wanted criminal, that she wasn't about to let the lives of her parents, her people, be lost for nothing.

That was one of the things he admired about her, he mused, a small smile forming on his lips. Her resolve was a great strength. Nothing stood in her way of obtaining whatever dream or goal she had for herself. She was equally as strong at keeping the team in check. Before Ahim came along, there was nothing that could settle the differences between them. They fought, constantly. Then, Ahim's calm presence just seemed to automatically tone things down. It seemed they were all afraid of tainting the princess' innocence.

Marvelous scoffed as the frown settled over him again. Innocence… Pirates are not innocent. Until he allowed her to join them, Ahim had never taken a life. She'd never even held a weapon. It took long hours, days, months of training before he was comfortable enough giving her the Mobirate and the Gokai Pink Ranger Key. And during her first battle as Gokai Pink, he wasn't so sure he had made the correct decision. She was eager enough to fight, though clumsily, but when it came to delivering the killing blow, she hesitated. It cost them the victory, but none of them had the courage to scold her for the loss of supplies they had gone after. She knew her mistake. And for many more weeks, she worked hard to try to overcome it.

This was really the first time Marvelous realized how amazing the princess really was. Also he figured out that patience was needed before she could realize her true potential.

He wished he could really dwell on all the things that made him fall in love with Ahim. But all things led back to the problem at hand. If the Zangyack learned of his attraction to her… If Basco learned…

His hands dropped to his sides, clenched in tight fists as a scowl spread across his face. Basco's ultimate interest may be in obtaining the Ranger Keys, and the 34 Grand Powers of the Super Sentai needed to find the greatest treasure in the universe. But he's also made it known quite well that he'd do anything to make Marvelous suffer. It was entertainment to him. Before now, Marvelous hadn't given it much thought. Ahim, as well as his other comrades, would gladly put their lives on the line to keep Basco from getting the treasure. But as he had shown Basco before, he wouldn't give them up easily. But Basco hadn't used his bait properly, and he underestimated their dedication to his each other. While they might willingly risk their lives, Marvelous wouldn't let them if he could help it.

But things were different now. He didn't want Ahim in that position, period. It was bad enough with that kidnapping attempt. And if Basco found out exactly how much Ahim meant to him… He let out a cry of anger and frustration as he pelted a nearby tree with an array of bullets. He couldn't bear the thought about what someone like Basco would do to Ahim…

His thoughts were disturbed by the sound of his Mobirate ringing. He took a few breaths to calm himself before answering, the device straining under his trembling grip. He could hear the plastic beginning to crack when he finally relaxed his grip. He finally answered.

"Yeah… I'm on my way…" He flipped the Mobirate closed, looking out over the lake for one last moment of reflection before turning away, taking off into a run through the trees, removing his Gokai Red Ranger Key from his inner pocket.

He definitely needed to dwell on all of this, to come up with a plan of action. He needed to keep her safe without making it look like he was keeping her safe. And that meant not telling any of the others. It's already apparent that they take great care around the former princess, but knowing about Marvelous' feelings for her will cause all of them to be more obvious about protecting her. And he didn't dare tell Ahim…

How does one keep such a secret? It frustrated him so much. He was in love, an emotion that should be making him feel overjoyed, warm and fuzzy. All he feels is guilt and anger. A milestone in his life that he should be sharing with his comrades, with the woman he loves, but he has to keep it secret. For how long? Once Basco is defeated, someone else will just take his place. The same with the Zangyack. They're pirates, damn it. They may be classified as heroes here on Earth, but what happens when they return to space?

Damn it… this was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do…

* * *

So... please tell me how I did? I'm trying something new, because I've slammed into a brick wall labeled 'writer's block' with my usual stories.


	2. Chapter 2

Yes... I've decided to continue. I'm really loving this, and I hope you are, too! Thanks to those that have read so far and a big thanks to those that have reviewed. It's very encouraging!

Kaizoku Sentai: Gokaiger

The Hardest Thing – Part II

Marvelous was well aware of all the eyes on him. Despite his crew attempting to go about their normal day-to-day activities, he felt their stares. He avoided eye contact with every one of them, instead, keeping his eyes straight ahead, his face twisted in deep concentration, attempting to hide his anguish. Everyone tiptoed around him, contributing his stoic silence to a bad mood, not enough sleep, which was certainly close to the truth. He was plagued with guilt over the previous day's battle, when he had misjudged an attack and allowed his princess to get hurt.

Thank goodness it wasn't serious, but it would take some time to heal, which meant that Gokai Pink was out of commission for a while, CAPTAIN'S ORDERS… if he left it up to Ahim, she'd be back on the battlefield the next attack. He wasn't about to let her make her injury worse, or make him feel worse about it.

Only the twitch of tightened muscles in his jaw gave away his tension. Well, that, and the fingernails digging into the arms of his chair. The wood cracked under the strain, completely audible over the thick silence. To avoid any questions on the matter, and he knew Luka and Gai weren't shy about asking them, he stood and stalked out of the room.

No one dared to follow, but Joe did pause in his exercises, his gaze following his captain.

* * *

He stood in the doorway to her sleeping quarters, arms folded, leaning against the doorframe, just watching her as she slept. His mind wandered while he watched, his favorite memories of Ahim flooding into his consciousness. A small, but still pained smile came to his lips as he remembered the first time he really got to know her, during her first lesson with the Gokai Gun. Looking back, now… He thinks that was when he started falling for her…

_~Flashback~_

He truly didn't understand why he was doing this. A princess, especially one as sheltered as this one, from a pacifist world, had no business being a pirate. And he was not a teacher OR babysitter. But this girl couldn't do anything on her own, though he had to admit, she tried. She couldn't handle the weight of the Gokai Saber, but her first lesson with Joe, she strained every muscle in her arms just learning how to hold it, and she refused to stop until she could. She made a bigger mess trying to help Doc just straighten up the galley, but she also spent all night helping him put it back in order.

He admired her determination, but she had a long way to go. Each day that passed, her sheltered life became more and more obvious. Luka, of all people, seemed to have the most patience with her, and damn it all if she wouldn't put up with any of them saying anything even remotely negative to Ahim.

He knew she didn't have the strength to compensate for the recoil, it was why he had told her to use both hands while she was learning. Sure enough, the first couple of shots she fired went wild and sent her backwards off her feet.

Marvelous stood several feet away from her, his arms folded, rolling his eyes as she cried out when her back hit the rocky ground. This was going to take forever. There was no way they'd make a pirate out of this princess. He was honestly amazed when she sat up, staring hard at the target he had posted for her. A threat of tears gathered in the corner of her eyes, tears she refused to let fall as she pushed herself to her feet.

He tilted his head to one side, surprised that she didn't even complain of the aching back he knew she had. He could see the rips on the back of her sweater. He couldn't help the half grin as she didn't hesitate to retake her stance, this time readjusting her weight, but there was still something odd about it.

"Spread your feet further apart," he said as he approached her, circling her to get a better look. His voice surprised him, there was a genuine softness in it that he didn't recognize. And the impatience he normally felt was nowhere to be found. "Don't lock your knees. Keep your knees AND your elbows bent." His arms remained crossed across his chest as he stood back a few feet while she tried again.

Ahim did as he instructed and shut her eyes tightly as she fired the weapon. She shrieked as the recoil sent her backwards again, right into Marvelous, knocking them both to the ground.

Marvelous instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist as they went down and adjusted his stance and weight to control their fall so there wouldn't be any injury to either of them. They landed with a collective grunt as the gun fell from her hands. The impact as it hit the rocks caused it to accidentally fire, the shot missing Marvelous' foot by barely an inch.

"Oi…" Marvelous sighed as he sat up, unconscious of the fact that his arm was still around the princess, struggling to sit up and properly apologize at the same time. He had to smile at the attempt, if only to hide the heat filling his cheeks as he released her.

"Oh! Marvelous-san! Gomenasai!"

Marvelous chuckled as she scrambled to her feet, immediately falling into a low bow, repeating her apology over and over. He didn't know why he found this so damned cute. Doc acted like this all the time and it was just annoying from him. But not from Ahim. He couldn't be mad at her, she tried so hard. It was apparent that becoming a pirate was something she truly believed in. And he'd seen her face light up when she did finally get something right.

He liked to see that light. He wanted to be the one to put it there.

He leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees, an amused smirk plastered on his face as he watched her repeat herself.

"Are you done?" he finally asked, a brow rose in mock annoyance. He stood, brushing the dust off the back of his pants. He smirked again as she straightened up, embarrassment turning her cheeks an adorable shade of pink. He folded his arms, nodding towards the discarded weapon. "Pick it up."

"Marvelous-san…" She seemed almost relieved that he was so patient, willing to give her another chance. It was obvious her understanding of pirates was a little off. Marvelous didn't know what she was thinking when she begged them to let her join them. But it was obvious she didn't expect them to be so… human...? Well, she WAS a princess… former princess… She probably thought pirates were a bunch of bad guys that pillaged and burned, no better than the Zangyack that destroyed her world. The only reason she wanted to join them was because they openly resisted the Zangyack. Needless to say, this wasn't what she expected and she was constantly giving her thanks.

He nodded as she picked the weapon up off the ground. "One more time… Last for the day, I promise." He stepped up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. He smirked with a slight chuckle as he felt her stiffen under his grip. He gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze as he flashed a grin, nodding towards the target.

_~End Flashback~_

Well, 'one more time' had turned into a hundred more times, because she had refused to stop until she could remain standing after shooting. And by the end of the day, he was tired. But he hadn't been able to sleep. Looking back now… that was when he fell for her.

He had been so lost in his thoughts, he hadn't notice his first mate standing beside him, also watching the sleeping princess.

"You're getting reckless…," was all Joe said for a moment, before he turned his eyes to Marvelous, who had turned a hard glare on his comrade. "You can't protect her if your mind isn't on the battle."

Marvelous didn't respond, his gaze returning to Ahim. He'd known he wouldn't have been able to keep his secret long. His crew was too observant. But that didn't mean he had to like it. If anything, it made his anxiety worse. He hadn't been lying to them, the topic had never come up. But it was damned obvious he didn't have to say anything for them to see the bigger picture. Still, he sure as hell didn't need Joe telling him something he already knew!

"You're not the only one who wants to protect her, you know that…" It wasn't a question.

Marvelous knew this. It had been that way since Ahim had joined them. And even though Ahim was getting stronger and stronger every day, her skills constantly improving, Marvelous found it harder and harder to let her continue to fight. He didn't want his princess fighting. A princess shouldn't be fighting.

"She's not a princess anymore… She's one of us…"

Damn Joe's perspective. As long as he'd known his first mate, Marvelous still wasn't convinced whether or not he was a mind reader or something like that. He let out a frustrated sigh as he glanced at his comrade. He was wrong, though. Everything she had done with them had been to show survivors of Famille that she was fighting for them. There may not be a planet left that she ruled, but she still acted for her people. And if anything… She was HIS princess…

"How do I handle this?" he asked as Joe turned, placing a hand on his captain's shoulder.

"Talk to her." That was it. That was his only answer.

And he left Marvelous standing in the doorway alone, another frustrated sigh slipping past his lips. A lot of help Joe was. Marvelous made a slight amendment to his thoughts of the previous day.

The hardest thing he's had to do was getting up the courage to tell his secret to the one person that has every right to hear it.

Damn it…

* * *

Wow, I haven't had this much fun writing in a long time. I really hope you're enjoying it as much as I am. Please let me know how I'm doing? Constructive criticism and ideas are welcome!


	3. Chapter 3

Final installment of this little ditty. Haven't decided yet if I'm gonna keep it going in a sequel or not. Kinda got other things I need to finish before I take on another project. Thanks for reading!

Kaizoku Sentai: Gokaiger

The Hardest Thing – Part III

This inner battle with himself wasn't getting him anywhere. He'd walked in and out of the room a hundred times, every time his mind changed. Marvelous hadn't felt so wound up about anything else before. When he finally made the decision to just do it and get it over with, he finally walked back into her room and stopped.

She was awake, sitting up, but she was avoiding his gaze, adjusting the makeshift sling that held her injured arm. Marvelous changed his mind again, feeling that maybe now wasn't the best time, it was obvious she was still feeling guilty about the battle. She didn't seem to want him there so he turned to leave the room…

…only to have the door slammed shut in his face. Damn it, Luka… he saw that smugness on her lips as she pushed the door closed from the other side. And he heard four bodies slam against the door.

"Luka! Open the door…," he hissed. He kept his tone low, as to not alarm Ahim to just how… panicked, panicked was a good word for it… how panicked he was at that moment. "Captain's orders, open this damned door…"

"No way," came her muffled voice from the other side. "We've decided. You're not coming out of there 'til you talk to Ahim."

Marvelous growled slightly at the affirmative responses from the other crew members. He pounded his fist once against the door. "Joe, this is mutiny! Open the door…" His voice was slightly louder, this time. And of course, he didn't receive a response from his first mate, but he could damn well picture the smug half-smile on his face. "Doc? Gai!" He considered, for just a moment, blowing the door off the hinges. He had his gun drawn, ready to do it, but something stopped him.

"Marvelous-san?"

Her voice just silenced every thought running through his mind and he felt his body go stiff to try to fight off the panic. He spun around, pressing his back against the door, one hand still nervously working at the door knob while the other quickly hid the gun. His breath caught in his throat as his hand just settled on the door knob. Even though worry and guilt was seen deep within her eyes, she was still put on her polite, welcoming smile. She didn't want to worry him. But she just made things worse.

He felt like melting. He didn't like that her eyes didn't match her smile. And he really didn't like that he was the reason it wasn't. So he was now damned determined to make sure that light returned to her eyes. How the hell did this little princess turn him into such a sentimental fool? He choked a little as her smile disappeared, worry taking complete control over her features.

"Marvelous-san, is something wrong?"

Whatever the torment going on inside of him at that moment, he hid it by giving her a reassuring grin, or tried to. His grin was a shaky one, and she knew it.

Ahim looked away to try to straighten the covers with her good hand and patted the space beside her, inviting him to sit. Marvelous held his breath, waiting for her eyes to meet his again, but she kept her gaze down on the bed sheets. "I disappointed you… We wouldn't have lost the battle if I had been paying attention and…"

She was close to tears, he could see it. He could hear it in the quiver in her voice. Every break in her voice stung. And he hated it.

"No…," he said. His voice with surprising soft, wavering just a bit. He didn't want her to cry, that knot in the pit of his stomach was just unbearable. It frustrated him to no end that she was blaming herself for HIS bad judgment. He wanted to be mad at her for it. After all, HE was the one not paying attention. He wanted to yell out his frustration, including the usage of not so good words. But, he wasn't about to make her feel worse than she already was.

"You guys are in so much trouble when I get out of here," he hissed towards the door before he crossed the room. The walk seemed a LOT longer than it should have been, only a few steps. She continued to hide her face from him as she fidgeted with a stray thread on the sling. And every damned step seemed longer than the last. He hated the way she looked, and hated himself for wanting to make it better. When the hell did he become so weak?

Finally he reached her and stopped beside her bed. He stood, almost awkwardly, his arms folded, staring down at her for a moment. After realizing she wasn't going to look at him, he sighed. He hesitantly sat down beside her. He didn't want to get too close, she might pull away. But if he got too far away, he'd likely end up on the floor.

"If I had been watching that Zangyack commander instead of you, I would have seen that attack coming. I'm sorry." Did he really just apologize? How the hell could one person make him be the opposite of everything that made him… well… him?

Apparently his apology caught her as much off guard as it had caught him. Her eyes were immediately drawn to his, question in them, but she didn't say anything. And he was afraid to respond for a long moment. And before he really knew what was happening, he reached up, lightly brushing her tears away.

He cleared his throat a bit, finding something else to look at as he let his hand drop to the bed beside her. "I don't like it when you cry…" He didn't know why he said that, but before he could ponder much on the thought, he felt her head hit his shoulder and her good arm wrap around his waist.

She didn't say anything. And he didn't know what to say. But maybe… maybe the hardest thing wouldn't be so hard after all.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Okay, so I lied. Part III wasn't the final installment. I don't even know if this is the last part. :) Just kinda going with the flow. Hope you guys are still liking it.

Kaizoku Sentai: Gokaiger

The Hardest Thing – Part IV

Marvelous couldn't remember having ever slept so soundly. For as long as he could remember, his nights were filled with dreams, not necessarily nightmares, but most definitely memories he would much rather forget. He'd accepted the fact that the lifestyle he'd lived wouldn't be easy, by any means, or pleasant, for the most part. After those years of risking life and limb, not just in search of treasure, but in search of the next meal… one learned to get by with as little sleep as possible. And as restless as sleep had always been, Marvelous had learned to adapt.

But the dreams of the previous night had been different. Explosions and gunfire were silenced. Screams replaced by a sweet soothing voice, softly singing. Visions of death and destruction were replaced by a smile and big brown eyes he felt he could melt into.

He'd been awake for a while, but he didn't dare open his eyes yet. Feeling the weight of her head on his chest, he couldn't resist letting one hand wander through her hair while the other gently rested on her injured arm that was draped across him. He didn't want to lose this moment, he'd hold on to it as long as he could. He knew if his eyes opened, that was just one step closer to facing the crew who had, no doubt, camped outside the door.

He was going to kill every one of them… Well, not really… He had to admit, if not for them shutting him in, Ahim would probably never know how much he really cared. And he would have never known that Ahim felt the same…

Marvelous hadn't realized how much could be said with a simple gesture.

Ahim had taken the first step, surprisingly. And all she did was lay her head on his shoulder and wrap an arm around him. It startled him for a moment, because he wasn't quite sure how to respond. Why had she taken such a bold step? But if she had been just as observant as the others… It wouldn't have surprised him for her to have made the first move to keep him from making a fool of himself trying to get the words out. That was so like her…

He hadn't known how long she'd been awake, but he nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt her idly tugging at a stray thread on his jacket where he'd lost a button. His eyes finally shot open and he looked down to her as she giggled softly, looking up to him with those eyes and that smile he came to love.

"Arigato… Marvelous-san…"

Oh, he wanted to melt right there, her voice was so soft, so melodic. And then she leaned up ever so gently to lightly place a kiss on his cheek. He smiled at her as he tried to untangle his fingers from her hair. For the life of him, though, he didn't know what she was thanking him for.

"What for?" His brow rose as she guided them both to sit up so that she could raise her good arm to help him in his task, gently pulling strands of hair from around his fingers.

She smiled again, giving his hand a squeeze as they freed it from her hair. "For being Marvelous-san…" She gave him another light kiss on his cheek as she stood, while he pondered over her meaning. Then her smile took on a teasing nature when she pulled away. "Now, please remove your clothes…" Try as she might, she couldn't hold in the giggle at his response.

He frowned for a moment when she pulled away from him, the sudden lack of her warmth beside him bothered him to no end, but her sudden request had him fumbling over words to respond. He didn't think Ahim was that kind of girl… And here he was trying to be a gentleman about it all… Though in all honesty, before sleep had taken him the night before, all he thought about, what he worried about, was being intimate with Ahim… She'd been a princess, surely she'd had suitors… But she was so innocent… Thinking about it, though, maybe she wasn't so innocent, she understood a lot of the crude jokes he and some of the others told each other. She thought she could hide the smiles and the giggles, but Marvelous had seen them…

Then she had the audacity to giggle at him, and his eyes narrowed in a mock glare at her.

"I want to replace the button on your jacket, and your shirt has a hole from where you took that bladed attack yesterday… I may not be able to fight for a while, but at least I can keep your clothes from falling apart…" She smiled again as she retrieved a small sewing kit from her dresser drawer.

He gave her a cock-eyed grin as he stood, sliding his jacket off. There was a definite change in his princess from last night and the woman that was walking back across the room. He dropped his jacket onto the bed, watching her as he worked at the buttons on his shirt.

"For a moment there, you had me convinced you had something completely different in mind…"

She gave him that teasing smile again as she set her sewing kit on top of his jacket. What happened next caused Marvelous to quit breathing while the world seemed to stop spinning for a moment. She leaned up and kissed him full on the lips. It was brief, but Marvelous certainly sensed something promising behind it.

"The day is young, Marvelous-san…" She smiled as she carried his shirt, which he had just noticed the she pulled off of him, over to a small chair a few feet away. She kept her attention to her task, but she occasionally drew her eyes to him with a small smile.

At that moment the hardest thing in the universe, for Marvelous, was to keep himself from marching over there and ravishing her right there and then. After all, he was still trying to play the gentleman… Ladies first, and all that… She seemed to know, very well, what she was doing…


End file.
